Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My 22-year-old son has Crohn’s disease, which was diagnosed last year after he experienced frequent abdominal pain and significant weight loss. He has been on Azathioprine (an Immunosuppressant), but he has not responded well to the treatment. His symptoms are now impacting his ability to attend college regularly.
We are currently considering starting biologic therapy,
Please let us know,
About the long-term safety and financial cost of medications?
Can dietary changes, such as the specific carbohydrate diet or enteral nutrition, be beneficial when used alongside medical treatment?
Kindly help.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I have read your query and can understand your concern.
Yes, dietary changes can help alongside medication in managing Crohn’s disease, especially if your son is not responding well to Azathioprine (an immunosuppressant).
Biologic therapies to consider: Biologics such as Infliximab (tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor), Adalimumab (tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor), and Ustekinumab (interleukin-12 and interleukin-23 inhibitor) can be useful options.
Benefits:
These are often more effective than Azathioprine for moderate to severe Crohn’s disease.
They can induce and maintain remission, reduce hospitalizations, and protect the bowel from long-term damage.
Dietary approaches:
1. Specific carbohydrate diet (SCD):
This diet eliminates complex carbohydrates, grains, lactose, and processed foods.
It may be worth trying under the supervision of a registered dietitian.
2. Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN):
This involves a liquid-only formula diet consumed exclusively for several weeks.
It is well studied in children and adolescents. Although less common in adults, it can still be effective in inducing remission.
EEN is typically used short-term, particularly during flare-ups.
3. Crohn’s disease exclusion diet (CDED):
This combines regular whole foods with some liquid nutrition.
Emerging evidence suggests it is effective in reducing symptoms and lowering intestinal inflammation.
I hope this helps.
Thank you.
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